Preventing organ failure after shock in older adults
Official title: Attenuation of Multiorgan Dysfunction after Shock in the Aged
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11307068 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing whether blocking digestive enzymes that leak from the gut can prevent organ damage after severe shock in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $331,800 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG083015-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307068 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The most relevant patients would be older adults who experience severe trauma, major blood loss, or shock and are at risk for multiple organ dysfunction.
✕Less likely to help
People without traumatic shock or whose organ failure is caused by unrelated chronic illnesses are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, the team is studying why older people are more likely to develop multiple organ failure after severe trauma or shock. In animal work they found digestive enzymes can chronically escape the gut and damage other organs, and this damage gets worse with age. They will test treatments delivered to the gut that block those enzymes and then measure whether organs and tissues are protected after shock. This work builds on earlier animal studies and Phase II human results using similar gut-targeted enzyme blockers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce multiple organ failure, lower deaths, and improve recovery after trauma in older patients.
How similar studies have gone: Similar enteral protease-blocking approaches showed benefit in animal models and had positive Phase II human results, and a related intervention is in Phase III trials for surgical patients.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmid-Schoenbein, Geert W. — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Schmid-Schoenbein, Geert W.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.